Adam Michnik in Wrocław, March 2006

Adam Michnik (born October 17, 1946, Warsaw, Poland) is the editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza a major Polish newspaper, where he sometimes writes under the pen-names of Andrzej Zagozda or Andrzej Jagodziński. In 1968-1989 he was one of the leading organizers of the illegal, democratic opposition in Poland. Historian, essayist, political publicist. The laureate of many awards, for example: a Knight of the Legion of Honour. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1296x1433, 418 KB) Adam Michnik during his authors meeting in WrocÅ‚aw, March 1st, 2006 File links The following pages link to this file: Adam Michnik Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1296x1433, 418 KB) Adam Michnik during his authors meeting in WrocÅ‚aw, March 1st, 2006 File links The following pages link to this file: Adam Michnik Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Motto: Miasto spotkaÅ„ (the meeting place) Coordinates: , Country Poland Voivodeship Lower Silesian Powiat city county Gmina WrocÅ‚aw Established 10th century City Rights 1262 Government  - Mayor RafaÅ‚ Dutkiewicz Area  - City 292. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: , Country Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ... Gazeta Wyborcza (pronounce: [gazεta vibÉ”rʧa] , gazeta vibborcha) is, as of 2005, Polands second largest distribution daily newspaper (after the tabloid Fakt). ...

Family

He was born to Ozjasz (Uzziah) Szechter, a well-known Jewish communist (First secretary of the Communist Party of Western Ukraine), and his wife Helena (née Michnik; pron.: "Meekhnick"), a children's writer and fervent Gentile commnunist. Michnik describes himself as a Pole of Jewish origins.^[1][2]

Education

In a primary school he was an active member of Walter’s Troop in Polish Scouts Association (ZHP), which was leaded by Jacek Kuroń. During the studies in a secondary school, after closing down the Walter’s Troop, he started to participated in the Crooked Wheel Club (Klub Krzywego Koła) meetings. After its closing in 1962, with the encouragement from Jan Józef Lipski and under Adam Schaff’s protection, he founded with his friends a discussion club Hunters of Contradiction Club (Klub Poszukiwaczy Sprzeczności). Disappointed with the reality of PRL, young people were discussing the ways how to change it. They read and analyzed the classical texts of leftist (left-wings) thinkers. Jacek Jan KuroÅ„ (b. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jan Józef Lipski (born 26 May 1926 Warsaw, died 10 September 1991 Kraków) Polish critic and literature historian, socialist politician, freemason (for a long time Master of the Copernicus Lodge). ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition...

In 1964 he started the history studies at Warsaw University. A year later he was suspended in his student’s rights because he spread the open letter to the members of Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) among his school mates. Its authors, Jacek Kuroń and Karol Modzelewski appealed to start to repair the political system in Poland. In 1966 he was suspended for the second time for organizing a discussion meetings with Leszek Kołakowski, who was expelled from PZPR several weeks before, for criticising its leaders. In 1965 PZPR forbade his texts to be printed. Since that time he was writing under his pen name to several newspapers, for example: “Życie Gospodarcze”, Więzi”, “Literatura”. Warsaw University (Polish: ) is one of the largest universities in Poland. ... The Polish United Workers Party (PUWP; in Polish, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR), was the governing political party in communist_ruled Poland from its creation (through a fusion of the communist Polish Workers Party and the left wing of the Polish Socialist Party) in December 1948 until the regimes electoral... Jacek Jan KuroÅ„ (b. ... Karol Modzelewski (born 1937) is a Polish historian, writer and politician. ... Leszek KoÅ‚akowski (born 23 October 1927 in Radom, Poland) is a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The Polish United Workers Party (PUWP; in Polish, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR), was the governing political party in communist-ruled Poland from its creation (through a fusion of the communist Polish Workers Party and the left wing of the Polish Socialist Party) in December 1948 until the regimes...

In March 1968 he was definitively removed from the University for the active participation in the so-called March Events (Wydarzenia Marcowe) that is students and academic environment’s strike, which started after the censorship forbade the adaptation of Mickiewicz’s “Dziady” to be performed in the National Theater. He was arrested, and convicted for 3 years for his “acts of hooliganism”, which mainly concerned his participation in March Events. In 1969, he was released from the prison under an amnesty, but he was forbade to continue any studies. Not until the middle of the 70s he was allowed to continue his history studies, which he finished at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Adam Mickiewicz (December 24, 1798 – November 26, 1855) was one of the most well-known Polish poets and writers, considered as the greatest Polish poet, besides Zygmunt Krasiński and Juliusz Słowacki. ... Dziady was an ancient Slavic feast to commemorate the dead. ... Several countries have a National Theatre. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... The University of Poznan (Polish Uniwersytet im. ... PoznaÅ„ ( ; full official name: The Capital City of PoznaÅ„, Polish: StoÅ‚eczne Miasto PoznaÅ„ (Latin: , German: , Yiddish: פּױזן Poyzn) is a city in west-central Poland with over 578,900 inhabitants (2002). ...

Opposition

After he was released from prison, at first he has worked for two years as a welder in Róża Luxemburg’s (Rosa Luxemburg) Industrial Plant and then, on the recommendation of Jacek Kuroń, he became a private secretary of Antoni Słonimski. Rosa Luxemburg Rosa Luxemburg (March 5, 1870 or 1871 – January 15, 1919, in Polish Róża Luksemburg) was a Jewish Polish-born Marxist political theorist, socialist philosopher, and revolutionary. ... Jacek Jan KuroÅ„ (b. ... Antoni SÅ‚onimski Antoni SÅ‚onimski (November 15, 1895 – July 4, 1976) was a Polish poet and writer. ...

In years 1976-1977 he stayed in Paris. After he returned to Poland, he got involved in the activity of Workers’ Defense Committee (KOR), which has already existed for a couple of months. It was one of the best known opposition organizations of the 70’s. He became one of the most active opposition activists and also one of the supporters of the Society for Educational Courses (Towarzystwo Kursów Naukowych). Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

In years 1977-1989 he was the editor or co-worker of the underground newspapers published in, so called, samizdat (that is illegally, outside censorship): „Biuletyn Informacyjny”, „Zapis”, „Krytyka”. He was also a member of the management of one of the biggest underground publishers: NOWa. Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Samizdat, book published by Pathfinder Press containing a collection of forbidden Trotskyist Samizdat texts. ... Biuletyn Informacyjny (Information Bulletin) was a Polish weekly published covertly in occupied Poland during World War II. It was started in November 1939 in Warsaw as the main press release of the SZP, the first underground resistance organisation in Poland. ...

In years 1980-1989 he was an adviser to both the Independent Self-governing Trade Union "Solidarity" (NSZZ „Solidarność”) in the Mazovia Region and to Foundry Workers Committee of “Solidarity”. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... A trade union or labour union is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... Solidarity (Polish: ; full name: Independent Self-governing Trade Union Solidarity — Niezależny SamorzÄ…dny ZwiÄ…zek Zawodowy Solidarność) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the then Lenin Shipyards, and originally led by Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa. ...

During the martial law, in December 1981 he was at first an internee, when he refused to sign, so called, ”loyalty oath” and the assent to voluntary leave the country he was jailed and accused of an “attempt to overthrow socialism”. He was in jail without a verdict till 1984, because the prosecutor’s office prolonged the trial on purpose. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ...

Adam Michnik demanded to end or dismiss his case and he wanted to be granted a status of a political prisoner, so he went on a hunger strike in jail. In 1984 he was released from jail, under the amnesty.

He took part in an attempt to organize a strike in Gdańsk Shipyard. As a result, he was again arrested in 1985 and this time sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. He was released in the next year again under the amnesty. Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...

Activity since 1989

In 1988 he became an advisor of an informal Lech Wałęsa’s Coordination Committee and next he became a member of the Solidarity Citizens' Committee. He took an active part in planning, preliminary negotiations and next took part in the Round Table Talks in 1989. After the Round Table Talks, Lech Wałęsa told him to organize a big, Polish national daily, which was supposed to be an ‘organ’ of the Solidarity Citizens' Committee, before the upcoming elections. This newspaper, under the Round Table agreement, was „Gazeta Wyborcza” „Solidarność”, because it was supposed to function till the end of the parliamentary election in 1989. After organizing this newspaper on the basis of journalists who worked in the „Biuletyn Informacyjny”, Adam Michnik became its editor-in-chief. In the elections to the Contractual Sejm (‘contract’ w Wiki) on the 4th June 1989 he became a Member of Parliament from Lech Wałęsa’s Solidarity Citizens' Committee electoral register. He run for it from Bytom constituency . Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa (IPA: ; born September 29, 1943, Popowo, Poland) is a Polish politician, a former trade union and human rights activist, and also a former electrician. ... The Solidarity Citizens Committee (Komitet Obywatelski Solidarność, acronym KO S), also known as Citizens Electoral Committee (Obywatelski Komitet Wyborczy), previously named Citizens Committee with Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa (Komitet Obywatelski przy Lechu WaÅ‚Ä™sie) was an (initially semi-) legal political organisation of the democratic opposition in communist Poland. ... Round-table negotiations. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Gazeta Wyborcza (pronounce: [gazεta vibÉ”rʧa] , gazeta vibborcha) is, as of 2005, Polands second largest distribution daily newspaper (after the tabloid Fakt). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ...

Between the 12th April and 27th June 1990 Michnik with three other men (historians Andrzej Ajnenkiel, Jerzy Holzer, director of Registry of New Records Bogdan Kroll) had access to Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MSW) archives. This group was called “Michnik’s Committee” and was brought into being by Henryk Samsonowicz initiative. The result of three months works was a short official report which stated that archives are incomplete. (Redirected from 12th April) April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ...

As well as a Member of Parliament and editor of “Gazeta Wyborcza” he actively supported Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki’s government and his candidature in election campaign against Lech Wałęsa in 1990. After the Citizens’ Committee break up and Tadeusz Mazowiecki’s failure, Michnik did not involve into politic and did not candidate in next parliamentary election. He focused on editorial and journalistic activities. “Gazeta Wyborcza” was converted into widely read and influential daily newspaper in Poland. On the basis of “Gazeta Wyborcza” assets Agora S.A. partnership came into existence. Currently (in May 2004) it is one of the biggest media concerns in Poland, administrating 11 titles monthly issued, portal gazeta.pl, outdoor advertising AMS, and shares in several radio station. Adam Michnik does not have any shares in Agora and does not hold any office headship, excluding head editor, which is unusual in economic field in Poland. Michnik’s shares are kept by Agora. Gazeta Wyborcza (pronounce: [gazεta vibÉ”rʧa] , gazeta vibborcha) is, as of 2005, Polands second largest distribution daily newspaper (after the tabloid Fakt). ... Tadeusz Mazowiecki (born April 18, 1927 in PÅ‚ock) is a Polish author, journalist, social worker and politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II. Tadeusz Mazowiecki as Prime Minister of Poland...

Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki in his expose in September 1989 used a term thick line which began new so-called thick line politic. He is proponent and advocate of this term. In “Gazeta Wyborcza” he used his personal influences to protect General Wojciech Jaruzelski and General Czesław Kiszczak against social- political- judicial clearing campaign that refers to different periods when they held party and civil functions in People’s Republic of Poland (PRL). He postulated for quick and efficient adjudication of brought penal actions and to stop press battle. Crucial role played a famous interview “Pożegnanie z bronią. Adam Michnik- Czesław Kiszczak.” by Agnieszka Kublik and Monika Olejnik which was published in “Gazeta Wyborcza” on 3 February 2001. Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... The so-called thick line (Polish: gruba kreska) was a term used by prime minister of Poland Tadeusz Mazowiecki in 1989 in his first parliamentary speech in Sejm. ... Wojciech Jaruzelski in 2006 Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski (pronounced: ) (born July 6, 1923) was a communist Polish political and military leader, Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985, head of the Polish Council of State from 1985 to 1989 and President from 1989 to 1990. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Monika Olejnik (born in 1956) is a Polish radio, newspaper and TV journalist. ...

On the 27th December 2002 Adam Michnik and Paweł Smoleński made so-called “Rywin gate” public and the inner history was supposed to be solved by specially called select committee.

In autumn 2004 due to health problems (he fell for tuberculosis) he resigned from active participation in editing “Gazeta Wyborcza” and passed his duties to editorial colleague Helena Łuczywo.

At state of war anniversary, on the 13th December 2005, Michnik delivered exposition at University of Warsaw (article published in “Gazeta Wyborcza”) in which he appealed to president Kaczyński for statutory abolition for those who were responsible for the state of war. The article was a response to information about instituting an inquiry by Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) against General Jaruzleski. Michnik appealed about abolition even earlier- in 1991 (during the exposition on Faculty of Law at University of Maria Curie- Skłodowska in Lublin (UMCS), “Gazeta w Lublinie” 11-12-1991) and also in 2001 in the article “Stan wojenny 20 lat później” (“Gazeta Wyborcza” 12th December 2001). Kaczynski may refer to: David Kaczynski Lech KaczyÅ„ski, the president of Poland JarosÅ‚aw KaczyÅ„ski, prime minister of Poland, leader of the Law and Justice party (Lechs twin brother) Maria KaczyÅ„ska, Lechs wife Robert Kaczynski, an American Engineer Ryszard KaczyÅ„ski Theodore Kaczynski, an American... Institute of National Remembrance (Polish: ; IPN) is a Polish institution created by the IPN Act in 18 December 1998. ...

In October 2006 recordings of conversations (that took place in September 2006) between Michnik and a well known businessman Aleksander Gudzowaty have been revealed. The conversations have been recorded behind the back of both participants by Gudzowaty’s security. The businessman has accused journalists of Gazeta Wyborcza of being economical with the truth in their articles describing enterprises of Aleksander Gudzowaty and his company “Bartimpex” in the power industry (the criticism concerned mainly Andrzej Kublike and Witold Gadomski.) For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Aleksander Gudzowaty graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Trade at the Łódź University. ... Gazeta Wyborcza (pronounce: [gazεta vibÉ”rʧa] , gazeta vibborcha) is, as of 2005, Polands second largest distribution daily newspaper (after the tabloid Fakt). ...

The case of revealed conversations arouse controversy among some journalists, mostly steaming form the vulgar language used by both interlocutors, from the announcements made by Michnik concerning punishing the two reporters pointed out by Gudzowaty and revealing that the information of Gazeta Wyborcza come for the secret service. Part of the journalistic milieu (including the columnists of Gazeta Wyborcza) defended Michnik, stating that they did not find the recorded conversations scandalous. Adam Michnik in his commentary in Gazeta Wyborcza criticized the method used to reveal the tapes and compared it to the methods used by KGB. He also denied alleged work of Gazeta Wyborcza for the secret service and its participation in the conspiracy aimed at Aleksander Gudzowaty. Both the columnists of Gazeta Wyborcza and some other journalists claim that the case of “Gudzowaty’s tapes” is exaggerated. According to others it was revealed on purpose, to cover another scandal, that is the revealing of Renata Beger’s recordings. He is a member of Association Polish Writers of and council on Foreign Relations. Gazeta Wyborcza (pronounce: [gazεta vibÉ”rʧa] , gazeta vibborcha) is, as of 2005, Polands second largest distribution daily newspaper (after the tabloid Fakt). ... Aleksander Gudzowaty graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Trade at the Łódź University. ... Born on 18 July 1958 in Silno. ...

Awards and distinctions

• Kennedy Human Rights Award(1986)
• prizewinner of Prix de la Liberte of the French PEN-Club (1988)
• Europe’s Man of the Year (1989) – prize awarded by the magazine La Vie
• Shofar Award (1991) – prize awarded by National Jewish Committee on Scouting
• The prize of the Association of European Journalists (1995)
• Imre Nagy’s medal
• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe prize for Democracy and Journalism ( May 1996)
• Order of Bernardo O’Higgins (Chile, 1998)
• One of 50 people on the list of ”Heroes of the freedom of the press” announced at 3 May 2000 by the International Press Institute

• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2001) • Erazm prize (The Netherlands, 2001) • PhD Honoris Causa in New School for Social Research, University of Minnesota, Connecticut College, University of Michigan • French Legion of Honor ( France, 2003) • Included by “Financial Times” on the list of 20 most influential journalists in the world. • Professor of Kiev-Mohylan Academy; September1’st 2006. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Imre Nagy. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Washington Avenue Bridge at night The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, almost always abbreviated U of M, and sometimes referred to as The U by locals, is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (UM, U of M or U-M) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan, and one of the foremost universities in the United States. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Publications

• Letters from Freedom: Post-Cold War Realities and Perspectives, translated by Jane Cave, 1998. (ISBN 0-520-21759-4)
• Church and the Left, (David Ost, editor), 1992. (ISBN 0-226-52424-8)
• Letters from Prison and Other Essays, translated by Maya Latynski, 1986. (ISBN 0-520-05371-0)

References

1. ^ (Polish) [1] Polish memories - Jewish memories, article by A. Michnik, "Tygodnik Powszechny" No. 29, 16 July 1995.
2. ^ http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=7922

External links

• Demenet, Philippe. "Adam Michnik: The Sisyphus of democracy", interview, Unesco Courier, September 2001. Accessed February 4, 2006
• Cushman, Thomas. "Anti-totalitarianism as a Vocation: An Interview with Adam Michnik", Dissent Magazine, Spring 2004. Accessed February 4, 2006
• Tennant, Agnieszka. [2] "Why Adam Michnik is Afraid of Theocracy: Confessions of a Democrat-Skeptic", Books and Culture magazine, November 20, 2006. Acessed November 26, 2006
• Zbigniew Herbert o Michniku - video